MUSIC
K
LFY’s Gerald Gruenig seems to be everywhere lately. His Acadiana Eats and music segments on channel 10’s Passe Patout are as popular as ever. His band Gentilly Zydeco has been featured on stages across south Louisiana, and the list of music legends that he has played with is lengthy. But don’t think any of that has gone to his head. He is just as surprised as anyone that he has found his “happy” just two hours away from his childhood home in the Gentilly section of New Orleans. Last month, we sat down for a planned 15-minute conversation that ended up lasting an hour. He calls Acadiana the crossroads of all things that excite and inspire him. And I’m more convinced than ever that Gerald Gruenig is exactly where he’s supposed to be.
THE ROAD TO ACADIANA
Gerald Gruenig Is in Love With Acadiana THE GUY WHO CAME TO ACADIANA AS A WEEKEND SPORTS ANCHOR HAS FOUND BIG SUCCESS JUST BEING HIMSELF By Rob Kirkpatrick
Growing up, Gruenig’s family owned and operated a po-boy shop (then called Po-Boy Bakery) that they lived above. He calls the neighborhood “rough” but says its impact on him was real. His dad worked seven days a week and his mom, a teacher, pitched in too. Next door was a gas station that provided a young Gerald a chance to interact with people from all walks of life. He said, “There were all kinds of people there. Customers at the restaurant and just random people and I always talked to them.” Left to right: Gerald Gruenig outside Kartchner’s in Scott; Gerald Gruenig with the Acadiana Eats Ford Bronco (Photos courtesy of Weatherall Photography)
ROUX
VOLUME 1 ISSUE 3 2021
47
